It can seem like a daunting task to attract and hire quality applicants. The process of filling positions takes vast amounts of time and effort. It’s as competitive as ever to get the best candidates for your position. As an employer, you may need to adapt your recruitment strategy for the new normal.
Use these steps to improve your recruitment strategy!
Strengthen Your Online Presence
Recruitment statistics report that 75% of candidates will research a company’s reputation before applying for a job opening1. It is time to ask yourself: who is managing your company's online presence? If you are not taking proactive steps to produce quality content about your business, the reputation of your company could be in the hands of outsiders.
Many companies use outside agencies to manage their content creation, but even the most basic web maintenance can go a long way for your business’s public image. Basic maintenance ensures your website is accessible and allows users to effortlessly check out your company website. This quality web presence does not just draw customers, but also draws job seekers. Applicants, more than ever, want to have the full information of a job at their fingertips. This does not just mean a job description, but it also includes content that shows more than the position responsibilities. Content showing your company culture and employee standards will prepare prospective employees for the job in which they are interviewing. Your website could offer real employee stories and experiences.
This can include employee quotes or even testimonial videos. Candidates will receive a glimpse into the daily lives of your employees. Not only will they be prepared for the job expectations, but they will understand your company culture. Your company website is a critical first impression for applicants, making it important to get creative! Use your website to showcase the many pros of your company. A web presence is essential, but data shows that social media is just as important.
“Social media usage is one of the most popular online activities and in 2021, 82% of the population in the United States had a social networking profile.” 2. As a company, you must introduce yourself as a relevant brand who interacts with consumers in one of the most effective ways: social media.
Your posts should use an approachable tone, representing your brand as inclusive and welcoming. With their approval, consider sharing photos of your employees and customers, showing people of different genders, ages, and races. Avoid using wording that only appeals to one segment of the population. Social media can serve as a bridge to connect your company with a massive pool of candidates. Show off how great your company is! Let the public know how well you treat your employees!
By posting content on their daily feed, job seekers will learn the benefits your company has to offer and will potentially want to join your team. Consistently sharing the countless positives of your business will make it impossible for job seekers to overlook your company.
Improve Your Application Experience
The days of applicants scanning the morning paper for job openings are over. It’s time to transform your recruitment strategy—but how? It’s simple: follow the applicants! Post your open positions on popular job application websites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor. These sites are just a few common websites that connect job seekers directly to employers.
Posting to these websites will automatically alert candidates of your open position, and they can fill out the entire application in one place. However, some applications have a better candidate response than others. It may be time to examine how job seekers interact with your application.
One way to monitor job postings is by studying your job application’s “bounce rate.” A bounce rate is the percent of people who either look at or begin your application, and leave before submitting. There are a number of reasons someone might abandon a job application.
For instance, if the application is too long. To optimize the process, consider simplifying the first application a candidate fills out. You can always send a second, more detailed, application to the top candidates. Also, keep in mind, job seekers are often receiving job opening notifications on their mobile devices.
Ensure your application process is mobile-friendly and users can complete it on their smartphone. Neglecting mobile-friendly applications may also cause your business to lose diverse candidates. By neglecting the mobile-friendly application, your candidate pool is significantly lessened.
Use Strategy In Your Job Descriptions
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First things first:
Introduce your company. Give the applicant a glimpse into your business and let them know what you do and your values. For example, a local bed and breakfast’s introduction might be, “Chestnut Place Inn is a locally owned and operated bed and breakfast located in Washington, Missouri. We happily host almost 800 guests a year and have been recognized for multiple hospitality awards.” After a proper introduction, let the applicant know what job they are applying to fill.
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Start with the basics:
Use an appropriate job title. Title your job with a name that candidates could easily search. Consider what words you’re using when you post your job opening. The use of key words like Forensic Accountant, Secretary, Data Analyst, etc., will help your open position appear in more job search results. When describing the role, give an honest and engaging overview of the expectations and its responsibilities. A list of numerous “must-have’s” can be intimidating and turn-away legitimate applicants. Start with three crucial characteristics you would like in your future employee. Lastly, be mindful to use wording that appeals to a variety of applicants.
Generate A Positive Company Culture
Imagine. It is the end of the interview. The applicant looks at you and asks, “How would you describe your company culture?” It is no surprise that applicants want more than just a job description. They want to know if the company will be a good fit for their personal values. You know that job seekers value company culture, but how can you effectively communicate your culture to candidates?
The first step is to assess the current culture of your organization. Ask yourself: “Is our culture reflective of the candidates I’m looking for?” “What are some areas we could improve the company culture?” “How can we better communicate our values to potential employees?” Transparency is key when it comes to improving company culture. Use your available resources and ask employees for their input. Employee surveys can provide your business with the input you need to build a good company culture. A company culture of communication, inclusiveness, opportunity, and transparency engages employees and will attract quality applicants.
Offer A Competitive Employee Benefits Plan
Dust off your current benefits plan and get creative! As an employer, it’s important to consider how to keep employees happy and healthy. A basic benefits plan will not differentiate your company from the competition. Basic benefits include retirement, health, and insurance plans. Employees expect to receive some version of these benefits. Take the time to research different versions of these plans to give employees the most desirable option. Upgrade your basic benefit offerings to make your company stand out!
Consider offering a more flexible work schedule
We are now looking at the next normal for Human Resources (HR), and specifically, recruiting and retaining the best talent for your business. Recent times proved you can conduct business from home. Try optimizing remote working technology and offering remote – or hybrid – work environments. Adjust your training methods to translate to a remote-working environment. If you are not able to offer remote work, no worries! There endless benefits your business could offer. Other unique benefits could include student loan repayment, special training, family benefits, service events, diversity initiatives, etc. Many companies are already offering these benefits, but it may not be high on your priority list to promote it.
Prioritize promoting the many benefits your company provides to employees. Consider adding an employee benefits website page that offers job seekers an immediate resource to inform them of all you have to offer. It is important your company provides both opportunities in the workplace, as well as giving employees beneficial provisions for life outside of the workplace.
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